A new study from Counterpoint looks back at the best-selling smartphones of the past year. This is an impressive ranking as it is dominated head and shoulders by Apple.
Of the top 10 best-selling smartphones of 2022, 8 are iPhones. The other two places are occupied by Samsung smartphones. A domination all the more impressive when you know the high prices charged by Apple
iPhones are selling like hotcakes
he Counterpoint ranking puts the iPhone 13 at the very top of the best-seller list, between January and August 2022. Over the year, this model alone represents 28% of iPhone sales. In September, when the new Apple smartphones are released, it is the iPhone 14 Pro Max that takes the lead in September, October and November, before being replaced by the iPhone 14 in December.
If Apple already dominated the top sales in 2021, this 2022 vintage is special in that it is the first time that the American brand places eight of its smartphones in the ranking. The other great news for the company is that, for the first time thanks to the iPhone 14s, its “Pro Max” model (the most expensive) is outselling the others.
After an iPhone 13 that sold twice as well as the iPhone 13 Pro Max in 2022, we’ll see if the popularity of the iPhone 14 Pro Max will allow it to occupy the top spot in sales in 2023. By reserving the best new features for its “Pro” models, Apple has succeeded in convincing users to put their hands in the wallet. A trend that should encourage the brand to focus on its most premium iPhones.
The best-selling smartphone in 2021, the iPhone 12 is resisting by being 6th in the 2022 ranking. A success that is also explained by the price drop of this model after the release of the new versions. In 9th position, we find the iPhone SE 2022 which is both the cheapest iPhone, but also one of the most compact of the range.
Samsung picks up the pieces
The only two smartphones that are not iPhones belong to Samsung. It is the Galaxy A13 (not 5G) which comes 4th in the ranking. As every year, the entry-level smartphone of the Korean brand is a great success and the Galaxy A14 is already in the cards for 2023. The other model, which occupies the 10th place of the most sold smartphones in the world in 2022 is the Galaxy A03, another entry-level reference from Samsung.
The ranking also shows Apple’s ability to sell high-end smartphones, while its direct competitor sells mainly entry-level and mid-range mobiles. A trend that Samsung is trying to reverse by continuing to innovate, especially with its folding smartphones, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4.
Nevertheless, Samsung remains the global leader in smartphone sales by volume as the above ranking accounts for “only” 19% of total global smartphone sales in 2022. A stable figure compared to 2021. Counterpoint anticipates this share to increase in 2023. The research company explains this by a decrease in the number of references offered and a concentration on high-end models, which are more profitable for the brands.
